Life-preserver.



D. D. LYONS.

UFE PRESERVER- APPLICATION FILED JULY 12.1912.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 UNITED STATES PATENT -1. 3 35: b ARMWGTON, mfmmsomgs 1. Application filed July 12, 1917. Serial No. 180,096;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL D. LYONS, a citizen of. the United States,residing at Farmington, in the county of Dakota and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Life-Preservers; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will. enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

4; ,My invention has for its object to provide .1 airextremely simpleand highly efficient lifepreserver that can be continuously worn by avoyager, and when worn, is inconspicuous, comfortable, and aflord'sadditionalprotectionto the wearer against the-cold.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the noveldevices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

a Referring to the drawings, 4

Figure 1 is a front view of the life-preserver;

Fig. 2 is a back view of the same, with some parts broken away and someparts sectioned;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken through the life-preserver abovethe belt thereof and showing the air chamber therein inflated;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view, principally in section, taken onthe line 4-4 of Fig. 3, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is a detail view in vertical section taken on the line 55 of Fig.4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the vest, on an enlarged scale, andshowing one of the joints between two of the air compartments therein,the position of the outer side of the vest, when its air chambers aredeflated, being shown by means of broken lines; and Fig. 7 is aperspective view of the metal reinforcement for the belt.

air-tight and water-proof material, is in tended to be worn in the samemanner as an ordmary vest, and has the customary neck opening and armholes. The vest 8 1s open up the front and connected by buckle-equippedstraps 9, which, when open, permlt the life-preserver to be put on ortaken off, at will. It will be noted that the vest 8 is formed withdouble walls and the outer wall is secured to the front wall byair-tight joints 10, at points the back and under each arm hole, thusdividing said vest into two front sections and two back sections, asshown in Fig. 3, and each of said sections affords a normally deflatedair chamber 11.

The outer wall of the vest 8, at each joint 10, is folded outward uponitself and held by a plurality of vertically spaced straps 12 and thesefolded portions of'the vest afford the end walls of the sectionsthereof. When the air chambers 11 are inflated, the same will appear, asshown by full lines in Figs. 3 and 6 and by broken lines in Figs. 1 and2, and when the said air chambers 11 are deflated, the outer wall of thevest 8 and the walls 13 between the air chambers 11 will fold, as shownby broken lines in Fig. 6. When the air chambers 11 are deflated, thegaps between the air chambers 11, formedby the double walls 13, will beheld together by the straps 12, thus giving the life-preserver a neatappearance.

Formed as a part of the vest, 8, just below the air chambers 11, is abelt 14, having double .walls affording a casing, in which isvalve-equipped stems 19, of well known construction. The front and backsections of the vest 8, on one side thereof, are independently connectedto the underlying com pressed air chamber 18 by tubes 20. These tubes 20extend vertically through the belt 14 and inner tube 15 and areconnected thereto by air-tight joints. The upper ends of the stems 20extend through the bottoms of the air chambers 11 in the vest 8, andalso have air-tight joints therewith. In the intermediate portion ofeach tube 20, is a valve seat 21, which has direct communication withthe respective compressed air chamber 18 through a port 22. The ports 22are normally closed by stem-equipped valves 23 mounted in the seats 21and are in the form of inverted cones.

The stems of the valves 23 extend through the lower ends of the tubes 20and; are equipped with finger or push buttons 24, which are mounted insockets formed in said tubes. Coiled springs 25, encircling the stems ofthe valves 23, are compressed between parts in the tubes 20 andadjustable abutments 26 on said stems and yieldingly hold the valves 23closed. Said abutments are in the form of nuts and have screwthreadedengagement with the stems of the valves 23. Suitable packing 27 isprovided for forming air-tight joints between the stemsof the valve 23and the tubes 20.

In case a voyager, wearing one of the improved life-preservers, finds itnecessary to use the same, he simply presses upward with his fingers onthe push buttons 24 to open the valves 23. With the valves 23 open, thecompressed air in the charm bers 18 rushes into the airchambers 11 andinflates the same. The amount of compressed air in the belt 14: must besufflcient to properly inflate the air chambers 11 and, at the sametime, keep .the belt itself inflated. By locating the push buttons 24:in pairs under each arm and arranging the same to open by an upwardpressure, the movements required to open the valves 23 are extremelysimple and natural.

To keep the inside of the belt 1% flat so that the same is comfortableto the wearer and snugly fits against his body, there is securedtherein, a metal reinforcement. This reinforcement comprises amultiplicity of links 28 flexibly connected and located in the innerlongitudinal edges of the belt and stays 29 having their ends secured tothe guides between the links, and which stays keep the links verticallyspaced.

The above described life preserver, while especially adapted for use inthe water, is well adapted for aviators, and in which case gas will besubstituted for compressed air. The word air is herein used in the broadsense to cover gas.

What I claim is:

1. A life preserver comprising a multicompartment belt affordingindependent compressed air .chambers, a vest having a plurality ofnormally eflated air chambers, and valve-controlled ports independentlyconnecting the normally deflated air chambers with the air chambers inthe belt.

2. A life-preserver comprising a vest provided with a normally deflatedair chamber, and having a tubular belt affording a compressed" airchamber, and a valve-controlled port connecting said two chambers.

3. A life preserver comprising a tubular belt-havin means for separablyconnecting the ends t ereof, said-belt having a transverse partition inits back dividing the same into two compressed air compartments, a

vest having a plurality of normally deflated 7 air chambers, andvalve-controlled ports connecting the air chamber in the belt with theair chambers in the vest.

6. A life-preserver comprising a tubular belt affording a plurality ofcompressedair chambers, a vest having a plurality of normally deflatedair chambers, and valve-controlled ports independently connecting theair chambers in the beltwith the air chambers in the vest.

7. A life-preserver comprising a tubular belt affording a compressed airchamber, a vest having a plurality of normally deflated air chambers,and valve-controlled ports independently connecting the air chamber inthe belt with the air chambers in the vest, the valves in said portbeing under strain to close.

8. A life-preserver comprising a tubular belt afl'ording a compressedair chamber, the inner vertical wall of the belt being flat, a vesthaving a normally deflated air chamber, and a valve-controlled portconnecting said two chambers.

9. A life-preserver comprising a belt having a compressed air chamber, avest having a normally deflated air chamber, a valvecontrolled portconnecting said two cham- .bers, and means for holding the innervertical'wall of the belt flat, said means including horizontal rods inthe longitudinal inner edges of the belt and vertical stays connectingthe same.

10. A life-preserver comprising a belt having compressed air chamber, avest edges of the belt between said double Walls having a normallydeflated air chamber, a and vertical stays connectin said links.valve-controlled port connecting said two In testimony whereof I a mysignature chambers, the inner vertical side of the belt in presence oftwo Witnesses.

5 having double walls and a metal reinforce DAlIEL D. LYON S.

ment for holding the inner vertical side of Witnesses: the belt flatcomprising flexibly connected HARRY D. KLLGORE, horizontal links in theinner longitudinal EVA'E. KONIG.

